The coolest thing about the first official teaser for the animated series Star Wars: Rebelsis that it proudly wears its chief influence on its sleeve: the visual style of Ralph McQuarrie, the original concept artist for George Lucas' films. This is our first real glimpse at what Disney has planned for the future of the Star Wars universe -- one that moves away from the prequels and will instead tell stories that are more heavily influenced by the original trilogy.

For example, Star Wars: Rebels is set between Episodes III and IV, and it'll follow the rise of the Rebel Alliance as they look to combat the evil Empire. We assume Darth Vader will return in some capacity, and it'll be fun to see what other references they make to those first Star Wars movies. Will we see or hear about Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, Jabba and others? Seeing as Star Wars: Episode VII will continue the story following Return of the Jedi, look for Star Wars: Rebels to act as a gateway for younger kids into the preexisting Star Wars universe that began with a little sci-fi flick in 1977.

The series will debut on the Disney XD channel in the fall of 2014. Check out the teaser below. [YouTube]

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